NCLR
by Thesnakerox
Summary: Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie are the four-person crew of an underground nuclear missile silo. Their job is monotonous for the most part, but one night that all changes...
1. Day -1: Monotony

It was just another day.

Jaune was sitting at a table with a control panel, boredly twirling a marker. Pyrrha sat on the floor, leaning against a large computer tower with various lights, switches, and dials on it. Ren leaned against a smaller desk that had a similar control panel to Jaune's. Nora paced back and forth across the room.

The room was silent, with the exception of Nora's footsteps and the soft electrical humming of the lights.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked. "When does our shift end?"

Jaune took a look at his wristwatch. "In about an hour and 32 minutes," he replied.

Pyrrha sighed. "I'm going to have a nap," she said, curling up on the floor. "Wake me up if something happens and I miss it, okay?"

Jaune nodded. He would say he wished something would happen, but that wasn't exactly the case. If the silence and boredom was interrupted, it would be exciting but terrifying at the same time. The thought caused a tension to hang in his mind...

The sounds of the electric humming and Nora's footsteps continued, now with Pyrrha's snoring added to them.


	2. Day 0: Maintenance

Jaune stretched, then toggled a few switches on the console in front of him. He watched as various lights changed, taking notes in a red binder. Pyrrha was standing up this time, reading a paper tape that was being printed by the computer tower she had been leaning on yesterday. Ren and Nora analyzed the displays on the desk-sized console. Again, no one spoke. The only sounds heard were those of the machines running.

After about 12 minutes of this, Jaune reset all of the switches on his console. Pyrrha tore off the paper tape and tossed it into a recycle bin; there was nothing of importance that had been printed on it.

Maintenance was the only other thing the crew did in the facility besides waiting around, and it only happened once a week. They tried their best to make the most of it every time.

Nora let out a heavy sigh as she slumped into one of the chairs in the room. "Why does this have to be so boring?!" she whined.

"Well...you do know what the only exciting thing that happens is, right?" Jaune replied.  
"Fair point. But...just...ugh! Why isn't there anything else to do around here?"

The room went silent again. Everyone knew that it wasn't their job to be distracted.


	3. Day 1, Part 1: Valid Message

Jaune felt like he was going to fall asleep. He was resting his head on the tabletop, his arms awkwardly outstretched across it. He was tapping his marker on the table with one hand. Ren was in a similar position and Pyrrha was, once again, curled up on the floor sleeping.

Nora was sprawled across the floor, clawing at it as if the boredom had manifested in a physical form and she was trying to escape. "Just 30 more minutes," she groaned.

However, that 30 minutes was about to become 30 days.

Suddenly, a loud beeping was heard that caused everyone to spring awake. Jaune and Ren promptly sat up, the latter getting his marker on standby. Nora scrambled to her feet and stood by one of the computer towers in the room. Pyrrha's eyes flew open, and in a flash she was standing next to another one.

The beeping stopped and a computerized voice began speaking over the intercom. "Incoming message from transmit point Bravo-Four-Zulu-Alpha. Stand by to copy."

"Stand by!" Jaune ordered as he and Ren reached for red binders, opened them, and uncapped their markers.

After a brief pause, the computer began to speak again. "Charlie. Papa. Echo. One. Seven. Zero. Four. Tango. Kilo. Sierra. Authentication: Two. Two. Six. Alpha."

Jaune and Ren wrote down every letter and number they heard. Nora and Pyrrha could only await further instruction, but their hearts were racing.

"This is not happening," Pyrrha whispered to herself.

"I have a valid message! Stand by to authenticate," Jaune said after he finished copying the message.

"I agree with authentication. Standing by," Ren replied.

The two of them got up from their tables and walked over to a red safe that was held closed by two locks. No one paid attention to it until now. Jaune opened the lock on the left, while Ren took the lock on the right. They didn't know each other's combinations. Once the safe was opened, they each removed a stack of small envelopes and a key, then returned to their seats.

Jaune read the printing on the outside of each envelope until he found one that was marked with the authentication code he received: 226A. He opened it, removed a red card inside, and compared the writing on the card to what he had written.

CPE1704TKS-226A.

"This is not a drill," Jaune declared.

"Affirmative, this is a legitimate order to go," Ren replied, a red card in his hand as well. "Time on target calculations underway." He began frantically scribbling various equations in the binder.

"Nora, stand by to dial launch code," Jaune ordered. He turned the red card over and read the code on the backside. "Launch code is as follows: Romeo, Sierra, Whiskey, Bravo, Papa, Yankee."

On the tower near Nora, there were six small wheels, each displaying a letter of the alphabet. Nora turned the wheels until the letters displayed were the same as the ones Jaune had read: RSWBPY. She then pressed a small red button next to the dials, and Pyrrha's computer tower spat out an entry on the paper tape.

Pyrrha read the entry aloud. "Launch code accepted."

At about that same time, Ren had finished his calculations. "Time on target calculation complete." He handed Jaune the paper he used to do the math. Jaune looked at a set of numbers that had been circled:

3-23:38

Jaune pressed a button on the console setting the target to Target #3. The exact location remained confidential. He then marked a clock on the table at 23:38. "Target selection complete. Launch in T-minus 1 minute, 20 seconds." Everyone watched as a clock mounted on the wall ticked.

When there was 30 seconds remaining until Launch, Jaune picked up the key he had retrieved from the safe earlier. "Insert launch keys and stand by to turn on my mark," he ordered, putting his key into a keyhole on the console.

After fumbling the key once, Ren had gotten it into the keyhole on his console. "Launch key inserted. Standing by."

The clock continued ticking, getting closer and closer to the time of launch. 10...9...8...7...6...

"...five...four...three...two...one...mark! Turn keys!" Jaune turned his key to the right. His arm trembled as he felt the resistance from the spring-loaded mechanism.

Ren turned his key as well, holding it in position.

"Hold!" Jaune ordered. After five seconds, a green light on Jaune's control panel illuminated. "You may release."

At that point, the missile they controlled was on its own. Pyrrha's computer tower kicked into action again, spitting out additional entries based on the status of the missile.

LAUNCH ENABLE

BATTERIES ACTIVATED

APS POWER

A bell rang in the office as the silo door opened.

SILO SOFT

GUIDANCE GO

A few seconds later, the four heard a low, distant rumbling.

MAIN ENGINE START

A loud buzzer sounded in the room. Several red lights on the consoles and computer towers flashed, letting the group know that there was a fire in the silo.

FIRE IN ENGINE

FIRE IN LAUNCH DUCT

FIRE IN FUEL PUMP ROOM

FIRE IN DIESEL FUEL AREA

The rumbling suddenly started fading as the missile left the silo. The computer tower seemed to hesitate, then it printed one final entry:

LIFTOFF

Ren sighed, looking down at the floor with a troubled expression. Nora wrapped her arms around him from behind, doing her best to provide comfort.

Meanwhile, Jaune's attention had shifted to Pyrrha, whose face had gone pale. She leaned against the computer tower and hung her head, trying to get the blood flowing back to her brain.

"Are you alright?" Jaune asked as he got up and put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.

"I'm fine. I..." Pyrrha took a deep breath. "...no. No, I'm not."

Jaune eased her down onto the floor, getting her to sit on his lap. "What's wrong?"

"I just..." tears welled up in Pyrrha's eyes. "Those people...they don't deserve it."

"No one does," Jaune replied as he hugged Pyrrha tightly. "The fact that I had to use a nuclear weapon on someone will stay with me for the rest of my life."


	4. Day 1, Part 2: Earthquake

The silence lasted only five minutes.

Alarms suddenly began blaring throughout the entire launch facility, and red lights flashed. Jaune and Pyrrha stood up, and Nora let go of Ren, quickly getting into a ready stance. A computerized voice echoed throughout the entire facility.

"Attention! Attention! A nuclear attack is incoming. Several nuclear missiles have been launched from unknown locations. Two of them are on trajectories towards areas near the location of this launch facility. Impact is expected within the next few minutes."

Upon hearing this, Jaune and Ren turned off their consoles, then forced the blast door separating the office from the rest of the facility open. They ran out into the halls while Nora and Pyrrha were turning off the computer towers and taking inventory. As the four did this, they continued to listen to the alert.

"You are advised to take the following actions. Make sure that at least one other person is in your sight at all times. Close all blast doors. Turn off all computer and electronic equipment. Close all vents. Ensure the facility is stocked with enough food, water, and other supplies to last at least 30 days. Have a battery-powered radio transceiver with you so you can receive updates and call for help when it is available. Test the generator array to ensure that it is operational. Once these preparations have been made, return to the launch office and close the blast door, sealing it as tightly as possible. Once inside, turn off the main breaker, then get into a small, protected space and brace for impact."

"That's right, the vents!" Jaune shouted over the blaring alarm and the computer repeatedly reciting the emergency instructions.

"I'll get them," Ren said as they arrived at a spiraling staircase. "You make sure the main entrance is shut."

"We can't separate!" Jaune protested. "Here, I'll go with you. We can get it done faster together."

After just under a minute, both the main entrance and the vents had been closed and locked. Jaune and Ren sprinted back to the launch office, closing several doors behind them.

When they arrived, most of the lights had already been turned off, save for the red emergency lights flashing throughout the facility. "Our supplies are properly stocked and all equipment is functional!" Pyrrha shouted over the alarm.

Without a word, Jaune motioned Nora and Pyrrha over to the blast door. The four of them pulled it shut, then turned the large wheel to secure it in place.

The timing was almost too perfect; at that exact moment, the alarm seemed to blare louder, and the alert message changed.  
"Attention! Attention! Nuclear impact is expected to begin now! Ensure that all crewmembers are inside the launch office, and the blast door is closed and secured. Turn off the main breaker and get into a small, protected space. Do not leave the office during impact. After impact, do not leave the facility for at least-"

The message was suddenly cut off as Jaune opened the main breaker. The room went dark and silent. Everything was still.

Jaune was sheltering under his control table with Pyrrha, while Ren and Nora were in an alcove in the wall. Jaune couldn't see a thing, but he was hugging Pyrrha tightly. He could feel her trembling, and was whispering comforting words to her in an attempt to calm her down. It wasn't working.

Only about a half a minute later, the first bomb exploded. A deafening rumble resounded throughout the entire launch complex, and the ground shook. Pyrrha let out a loud shriek as the lights flickered from the electromagnetic pulse. The binders and authenticator cards that Jaune and Ren had used only a few minutes ago fell off the tables.

The earthquake only lasted about 10 seconds, but right as it began to die down the second bomb made impact. This one was much closer, and the crew were almost thrown out of their shelters by the shaking. Jaune tightened his grip on Pyrrha, and she instinctively threw her arms around him. Bits of concrete and dust were falling out of the ceiling.

The second earthquake was twice as long as the first. When it finally died down, the crew waited for five more minutes before coming out of hiding.

Jaune removed a flashlight from a holster on his belt and clicked it on, shining it around the room. He located the main breaker and closed it. As expected, nothing happened. The missiles had taken out the power.

"Nora, get the generator started, will you?" Jaune asked as Nora and Ren came out of hiding.

"On it," Nora replied as she located a ripcord in the wall. She yanked it three times, then the generator was heard starting up. The lights came back on in the room.

Now that Jaune could see clearly, he noticed that Pyrrha was still curled up on the floor, clearly shaken from the experience of being hit with two nuclear bombs. He lay down next to her, hugging her tightly once again.

"Jaune..." she whispered. "...is it over?"

"As far as I can tell," Jaune answered.

Once Pyrrha had fully recovered, Jaune got up and moved towards a shelf with a radio transceiver on it. He removed the transceiver from the shelf, set it down on his table, plugged the communication wire into an antenna jack on the table, and then switched it on. There was no signal, even after he turned the frequency knob back and forth several times.

Regardless, he set the frequency to 18 kHz; that was the main emergency channel. He then plucked the microphone off the side of the box and sent a message.  
"Emergency, this is Jaune Arc, manning launch complex Three-Three-Five-Romeo with Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie. We have been hit with two nuclear bombs. Our inventory is full, the generator is functioning, and no one is under any life-threatening conditions. No significant damage to the complex has been observed. We are not in need of immediate rescue at this time, however our supplies are estimated to last us 30 days at most. I say again..." Jaune then repeated his message before turning the microphone off.

Now there was nothing much else to do but wait from a response from Emergency Command, if there even would be any. The only sounds that were audible were the soft hum of the generator and the hiss of the radio static. The crew had once again gone silent.


End file.
